Senate to form Gachagua impeachment probe committee

September 6, 2016 5:19 pm

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The Governor’s fate will be determined by the 11-member committee, which is expected to return a verdict within 10 days whether the Nyeri County Assembly has substantial allegations against the Governor/COURTESY

By LABAN WANAMBISI, NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 6 – The Senate will on Wednesday hold a sitting to set up a Special Committee to look into allegations levelled against Nyeri Governor Nderitu Gachagua by the Nyeri County Assembly.

The Governor’s fate will be determined by the 11-member committee, which is expected to return a verdict within 10 days whether the Nyeri County Assembly has substantial allegations against the Governor.

Overview

The Governor's fate will be determined by the 11-member committee, which is expected to return a verdict within 10 days whether the Nyeri County Assembly has substantial allegations against the Governor.

The House, which is currently on recess, is expected to convene at 9am for Speaker Ekwee Ethuro to communicate receipt of the impeachment evidence against Gachagua from the County Assembly of Kericho.

The Senate will also deliberate a number of pending legislation during Wednesday's sitting.

The House, which is currently on recess, is expected to convene at 9am for Speaker Ekwee Ethuro to communicate receipt of the impeachment evidence against Gachagua from the County Assembly of Kericho.

The Senate will also deliberate a number of pending legislation during Wednesday’s sitting.

Gachagua became the third Governor to face impeachment proceedings after Embu Governor Martin Wambora and Kericho’s Paul Chepkwony.

He was impeached on Friday after 32 MCAs voted in favour of the Motion against 12 who were absent during the voting time after they walked out of the chambers.

The Motion sponsored by Kiganjo-Mathari Ward MCA, Baragu Mutahi, accused Gachagua of abuse of office and gross misconduct, declining to sign a Sh6.4 billion budget, corruption in the County Government and embezzlement of funds among others.

The besieged Nyeri Governor on Monday moved to the High Court to block the County Assembly and Senate from proceeding with the process of his impeachment.

Through his lawyers Issa Mansur, Peter Wanyama and Fred Ngatia, Gachagua filed a Notice of Motion under a Certificate of Urgency seeking Conservatory Orders to stay the implementation of the decision by the County Assembly to impeach him.

The lawyers claim the Nyeri Governor was not given a hearing citing the Notice of Motion forwarded to Gachagua on August 26 did not contain documentation showing that at least a third of the MCAs had verified the grounds for his impeachment.

The court directed that the applicants should serve the County Assembly and the Senate with the suit for hearing on Monday next week.

LABAN WANAMBISI Laban Wanambisi is a Parliamentary and Political reporter. He joined the Capital Newsteam in 2005. Since then, he has reported on many of the major news events over the years including his first major assignment covering the 2005 National Referendum on the Draft Constitution, and several other subsequent key national and international events.